The Resurrected Christ: A Life-Changing Truth!

THE RESURRECTED CHRIST: A LIFE-CHANGING TRUTH! Luke 24:32-53, MHAFB, 28 Apr 19 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Series: Life of Jesus / Topics: Life of Jesus; Resurrection of Jesus Christ; Jesus is resurrected from death; Church: Nature; People of God; Thesis: Jesus’ historic resurrection is the source & center of God’s people. Opening Verse: Philippians 3:7–11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Slide: Transition to Sermon: Psalm 119:105 Introduction 1. Attention: a. Last Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. i. For the Christian greater than any federal holiday, 1. Greater than any saint’s day, Lent, Advent, & even Christmas! ii. Because in Easter, we are brought back to the source & central of our faith, 1. The crucified & resurrected, Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ! iii. Slide-Title: And this is our focus this morning 1. “The Resurrected Christ: A Life Changing Truth!” iv. Reflecting on this significance of Jesus’ resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 the Apostle Paul highlights that without the resurrection of Jesus 1. Our faith & any preaching of it is truly without any substance, 2. It is utterly worthless & we are to be a pitied people! (1 Corinthians 15:13–19) 2. Big Picture: And so, without any regrets but instead with great anticipation, this morning we return to the Resurrected Christ! a. Slide-Thesis: As we do so, I hope that you will see how i. Jesus’ historical resurrection is the source & center of God’s people b. In our Resurrection Day Sunrise Service we looked at Matthew’s recording of Jesus’ resurrection i. During our traditional worship time Ch Rodriguez brought us to John’s recording of Jesus’ resurrection 3. Verses: a. Luke: And so this morning we are turning to the Gospel of Luke… i. If you are familiar with Luke’s Gospel record, you may remember that he was a studious man, 1. A scholar that took an investigative to the stories of Jesus, as he shared in Luke 1:1-4 Luke 1:1–4 CSB 1 Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. 3 It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed. ii. Due to his careful investigations, Luke actually adds several unique details that Mark & Matthew did not focus on 1. Such as the unique details about Mary’s experience at the Christmas story that could only come from personal interviews with her! 2. Traveling to the resurrection at the end of His Gospel… b. Context: Luke’s research also sheds light on other unique stories—and it is to some of those that we travel today. i. On Sunday morning two non-Apostles disciples, after hearing from the ladies that the tomb was empty, left Jerusalem for Emmaus a. The city of “hot baths,” which is about 7 miles from Jerusalem, about a 2.5 hour walk 1. Along the way, as you know, they were joined by Jesus, although they didn’t recognize Him as such. a. And along the way Jesus helped them understand what the Scriptures said about the Messiah 2. When they sat down & He broke bread in Emmaus, their eyes were opened to recognize Him— a. And immediately He vanished from their sight! c. 9 Slides-Passage: It is at this moment that we are entering the story; please join me in Luke 24:32-53 as we read... Luke 24:32–53 CSB 32 They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, 34 who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. 36 As they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 “Why are you troubled?” he asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” 40 Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 But while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate in their presence. 44 He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, 47 and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” 50 Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 And while he was blessing them, he left them and was carried up into heaven. 52 After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they were continually in the temple praising God. 4. Transition: And it is through this that we see a. Jesus’ historical resurrection is the source & center of God’s people b. In understanding this best, let us first look at… Slide-Main Point 1a: Jesus’ Historical Resurrection 1. Explain: Let’s be clear as to what these New Testament eyewitnesses claim: a. The Claim: i. MP1b & c: Jesus was literally, bodily resurrected into a glorified physical state. ii. This is a bold claim! A claim that does require some convincing of people… iii. If you were present, you’ll remember on March 31 that Jacob Rogers shared a message on the historical trustworthiness of this resurrection. 1. In this he shared the trustworthiness of the New Testament documents as an accurate transmission of these actual eyewitnesses claims 2. There is overwhelming external evidence that we have an accurate text with the original claims of these witnesses. iv. And even between the 9 different authors of the 27 different New Testament books you find this consistent claim-1. Jesus was literally, bodily resurrected into a glorified physical state. b. The Evidence: But what evidence did they have of this—why were they so convinced that they radically altered their lives & even willingly died for this claim? i. Five-Sense: Now, I’ll say right up front, the eyewitnesses make no mention of tasting or smelling Jesus… However, Jesus was… 1. MP1d: Seen: He appeared to them in a physical, human form a. He was not a translucent spirit or merely a voice calling out from the dark-b. He appeared to them in a very visible way! c. Recognizable to them as Jesus, even still bearing visible marks of the wounds matching His death! i. As the hymn so poetically shares, “Crown Him the Lord of Love: Behold His hands and side; Rich wounds yet visible above In beauty glorified” d. But He was not merely seen, He was also… 2. MP1e: Heard: He spoke words to them that they could here & understand a. He took part in meaningful conversations. b. Ah, but if He only left it with sight & sound, undoubtedly some would claim it was but a phantom or a vision— i. He wasn’t really physically resurrected, but only spiritually, right? ii. Thankfully He didn’t leave room for that conclusion, for Jesus was also… 3. MP1f: Touched: Mary clings to Him (Jn 20:17), Thomas was invited to touch His wounds (Jn 20:27) a. They further saw Him touch other things, from bread to fish He would move & manipulate physical objects like any other human b. He ate with them (Lk 24:42-43) & even a prepared breakfast for them (Jn 21:12–14)! c. Jesus provided the visible, audible, & physical evidence for us to know that i. He was literally, bodily resurrected into a glorified physical state! d. And in these, we recognize there were… ii. MP1g: Personal Interactions: This wasn’t some distant human they saw only from a distance, only thinking it was Jesus again 1. Jesus interacted, hosting questions & answers, responding to individuals a. He had meals with them b. He personally interacted with people in such a way that they knew it was Him! 2. Furthermore, there were... iii. MP1h: Group Encounters: 1. And thankfully He didn’t just do this in a series of 1-on-1 encounters… a. Can you imagine how easily those could be countered? b. “Ah, they were just hallucinating. No one really could verify anyone’s supposed encounter.” 2. But, while Jesus did meet 1-on-1 with people (e.g. Mary [Jn 20:14-18] or Peter [Lk 24:34]), a. He also made it a point to meet in several groups! i. There were two going to Emmaus ii. When they returned & reported their encounter Jesus then appeared to them with the 11 & other gathered disciples (v33) iii. And the gospels go on to share several other encounters that He had with His disciples prior to His ascension. iv. In 1 Cor 15:6 Paul even mentions that at one point Jesus appeared to over 500 people! 3. These group encounters demonstrated that the resurrected Jesus was not a hallucination! a. People could & would confer with each other afterwards b. I imagine that after He left, they would turn to each other and say, “You saw and heard Him, too, right?” 4. Undoubtedly this must have been an incredible time! a. Jesus was literally, bodily resurrected into a glorified physical state. 5. And one final important element of evidence that Jesus was resurrected, is that it... iv. MP1i: Fulfilled many Prophecies: Old Testament promises of God were coming to fruition in an amazing way! 1. In Luke 24:25–27, with the two journeying to Emmaus Jesus begins from Moses’ first 5 Bible books & the Prophets to explain these very things to them 2. Then just a bit later in our focus verses, Luke 24:44-45, again with this larger group He opens their minds to understand the Scriptures, explaining that what was written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, & even the Psalms must be fulfilled! 3. The Old Testament is ripe with God’s prophetic promises about the coming Messiah a. And Jesus’ life, death, & resurrection was in amazing fulfillment of these! b. 8 Slides-Prophesies: As a sampling, consider these slides… i. I realize you cannot really read these, but I offer them as an example & invite you to reach out to me if you’d like to see & study these more in details! ii. This is a list of 120 prophesies, from Genesis to Malachi, concerning God’s Messiah c. Written hundreds of years prior to Christ, as Jesus states in v44, God gives detailed prophesies… i. That the Messiah would suffer (e.g. Psalm 22, 35, 69; Isaiah 50:6, 52:13–53:12, 63:8-9) ii. That He would rise from the dead the third day (e.g. Psalm 16:8–10, 49:15; Is 53:10-12; Hosea 6:1-2) iii. & that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations (e.g. Gen. 22:18, 26:4; Isaiah 9:1-2, 49:6–12, 55:4-5) 2. Summary: a. Through eyewitness testimony— i. Jesus was seen, heard, & touched ii. Personal interactions between him & individuals proved that He was the Jesus they saw crucified to HIs death just days prior iii. Group encounters ensured that people were not hallucinating b. And on top of this, prophesy after prophesy was specifically fulfilled, i. Validating that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah! ii. Demonstrating conclusively that repentance for forgiveness of sins is found in Him! 3. Transition: Jesus was literally, bodily resurrected into a glorified physical state! a. And this truth has become both the source & center of our relationship with God… b. And, let us turn to that now… Slide-Main Point 2a: Our Relationship with God 1. Explain: Why do Christians care so much about the historical, literal bodily resurrection of Jesus? In short, it is because… a. Jesus’ historical resurrection is the source & center of God’s people i. You see, God wants a people with whom He will have an eternal, dynamic, & loving relationship ii. So, let’s talk about... b. MP2b: God’s People: As Jesus highlights, this is to be a people from all nations! (v47) i. As Americans we have to humble ourselves to remember that our individualistic culture sometimes does us harm here 1. MP2c: While the Scriptures are very clear, while we have a personal relationship with God, 2. MP2d: The Scriptures are also clear that this is also a community that is in relationship with each other! a. We are a spiritual family, the Body of Christ, the Called-Out ones, the Church. b. This is, as Peter describes, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession,” who once "were not a people, but now you are God’s people…” (1 Peter 2:9-10, CSB) 3. Even the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught us reveals this with it’s opening Word, “‘Our’ Father who art in heaven...” (Mt. 6:9) ii. Jesus saved you, in part, to be an active & accountable part of this Holy community—this is a large part of what it means to be God’s people! iii. But let’s not get too bogged down there, let’s consider how Jesus' death & resurrection is… c. MP2e: The Source of God’s People: i. Eternal life in loving relationship with God is what we were designed for, 1. But our sins separated us from that (Is. 59:2; Rom 3:23, 6:23) ii. In order for God to have a people from this broken human race, 1. He had to righteously, that is to say justly, deal with our sin 2. God couldn’t just ‘ignore’ sin, He could not forgive us without consequence… a. To ignore sin is to not take it seriously, i. To perpetuate its injustice & destructive power, ii. To be dishonest about the truly evil nature of sin. b. If He is a righteous God, He must justly deal with sin! i. And that would not go well for us! ii. For sin is to deny and rebel against the very essence and nature of God 1. God is life, love, goodness, and so much more… 2. When we deny this, we merit the opposite, death, wrath, & evil upon our lives c. If God were to simply ignore this, it would be as though He is practically saying, i. “Sin doesn’t really matter; the death and evil that it brings the world is no big deal—don’t worry about it.” d. But sin is far from that & it has put is far from God 3. To receive forgiveness of sins, a price must be paid that justly recognizes sin for what it is a. And this is where the cross comes into play… i. MP2f: Our forgiveness came at the great & righteous cost of Jesus’ atoning death on the cross (1 John 4:10) ii. He willingly accepted the penalty of our sins 1. He bore the excruciating experience of bearing our sins in His death 2. The righteous consequence of our sins was fulfilled in Christ & through this, He has become the source of God’s people! 3. For v47 is true that, “repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations!" b. Jesus’ death & resurrection is the source of God’s people. 4. Have you entered into this... i. Through faith, life-altering trust, that Jesus is who He said & that He did what He said? ii. And through repentance from your sins & to God? a. If not, I encourage you to come and speak with me! iii. I hope that you have! 1. Ah, but please, please, please—never stop there! 2. Jesus is not simply the source of God’s people, He must also be... d. MP2g: The Center of God’s People: i. We never ‘grow beyond’ this, we are never 'too mature' for the cross & resurrection of Jesus! 1. As Paul shared to the Corinthian Christians, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Cor. 2:2, CSB) 2. And as he shared to the Galatian Christians, “...I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...” (Gal. 6:14, CSB) ii. The way in which Jesus’ death & resurrection enabled us to have “repentance from death works” & “faith in God” serves as the elementary principles of our faith 1. This must be consistently, securely set & settled as a foundation for everything else! (Heb 5:12-6:1) iii. Illustrate: One may compare this to basic arithmetic ... 1. In elementary school we learn how numbers work and how we can work numbers through addition, subtraction, division, & multiplication 2. It is upon this foundation that all other math is rest 3. As you advance in mathematics, you cannot abandon & forget this basic arithmetic, but you don’t just stay there! 4. This basic arithmetic becomes the foundation of all that we do in mathematics. 2. Expand: Similarly the death & resurrection of Jesus is the basic arithmetic of our faith... a. MP2h: We never truly leave it, it is the foundation of our entire Christian life! i. It is the center of who we are & how we live b. As Christians let us not reflect on & live within Jesus’ death & resurrection at Easter-time only i. But let this be a daily part of our lives, ii. As we are raised up from sleep every morning, may we know Jesus Christ & Him crucified; iii. May this alone be our boast, our foundation, our center... 3. Transition: And with that said, let us consider some practical applications… Slide-Conclusion-a: Conclusion 1. Reiterate: Jesus’ historical resurrection is the source & center of our relationship with God a. Jesus was literally, bodily resurrected into a glorified physical state! b. And His work in this is the source of the people of God i. A source that must also be that elementary center of our life from now on! 2. Apply: But, how then shall we live? a. Con-b: Enter into this relationship with God! i. This is one of the great purposes of Jesus’ death & resurrection 1. He provided the means for your sins to be forgiven 2. He provided the power for you to live in victory ii. Will you receive this? b. Con-c: Tell the good news of the Risen Savior! i. This was well demonstrated on the morning of His resurrection: 1. The two from Emmaus share it with the Eleven & those gathered with them in (v35) 2. The Eleven share back how the Risen Savior appeared to Simon (v34) 3. Jesus instructs that these very people be witnesses of Himself, even to all the nations (vv47-48) a. Actually, the entire Gospel of Luke is a demonstration of how they fulfill this! ii. So too may we enter into the heritage of God’s witnesses and share His Good News with the all nations! c. Con-d: Experience the joy & amazement of the Risen Lord! i. In v41 shares how the disciples were frozen in their joy & amazement at the resurrection of Jesus 1. While I don’t think being frozen & unable to act is the best call… 2. Sometimes as Christians we deal with the resurrection of Jesus at such an academic, intellectual level that we don’t recognize how amazing it truly is. ii. Do you feel the joy & amazement that is appropriate for the truth of Jesus’ resurrection? d. Con-e: Seek to understand His Word! i. V45 shares that Jesus opened the minds of His disciples to understand the Scriptures ii. Realize that their personal experiences with Jesus were qualified & understood through God’s revealed Word 1. And the same must be true for us today! 2. We must seek to understand the Scriptures, to rightly apply them to our lives & make sense out of our experiences with Jesus 3. Rather than using our experiences to interpret the scriptures, a. Let us be those who allow God to teach us so that the Scriptures make sense of our experiences! e. Con-f: Obey, worship, & praise Jesus! i. Jesus instructed His disciples to stay in Jerusalem until He empowered them from on high (v49) 1. They obeyed His command, an excellent response to our Risen Lord! (vv52-53) ii. As Jesus blessed His disciples & ascended into heaven, His disciples responded by worshipping Him 1. Another excellent response to our Risen Lord! 2. Worship: That positive response to God because of who He is & what He does 3. Demonstrations of honest reverence, seen in songs, prayers, praises, & even simply how we live our life! iii. Finally, Luke concludes his gospel by sharing how the disciples “were continually in the temple praising God” (v53) iv. And may we too be such people! Those who… 1. Continually praise & worship Him, 2. Walking in consistent sacrificial obedience, 3. With eager expectation of how He will fulfill His promises! 3. Appeal: Brothers & Sisters, a. He is risen! (He is risen, indeed!) b. May this historical truth be the source & center of our relationship with God on a daily basis c. And may we ever be the people He has called us to be. 4. Conclude: Pray with me... Transition Slide-Hebrews 12:1-3